"Your Majesty has just woken up, be careful not to catch a spring cold..." the young man spoke softly, respectfully and seriously.
The Emperor of the Holy Ceremonies nodded slightly.
This man was presented by a fierce vassal king of a different surname. He came from a declining aristocratic family and had been serving her for several years.
She was not a person who was obsessed with male beauty, but just as emperors throughout history had three palaces and six courtyards, in addition to having offspring, their existence also had other meanings and uses.
The emperor has no private affairs in the true sense. The so-called court refers to the previous dynasty and the next court, and the two have always been closely connected.
As a woman of a different family, it was more difficult for her to hold the imperial power than for any other emperor. Therefore, she would do anything that would help her hold power.
As long as it is available, she will use it, no matter what means, no matter what others say.
If she had paid attention to those unpleasant and ill-intentioned words along the way, she would not have had the opportunity to sit here. At least, now no one dared to let her hear those disrespectful words in public.
No matter how those people viewed her, they still had to be respectful to her and still be used by her, and that was enough.
The Holy Ceremonial Emperor sat up straight, took the teacup handed to him by the palace maid, looked towards the outer hall, and asked, "Is there anyone waiting outside the hall?"
The young man replied, "Yes, Prime Minister Ma, Minister Wei and other gentlemen are waiting outside the palace... I saw that Your Majesty was sleeping soundly, so I did not let anyone disturb Your Majesty."
They also held official positions, most of them serving as eunuchs.
The Emperor of the Holy Ce did not show any emotion, he just said calmly: "If there are any other ministers who want to see me, no matter when, they must report to me in time."
The young man knelt down with a somewhat terrified look on his face, and said, "Yes, I will remember this."
The Emperor of Holy Ce stood up with the help of the palace maids, tidied his appearance, and walked to the outer hall.
Ma Xingzhou, Wei Shuyi, and several officials from the Secretariat were soon summoned into the palace.
Xu Zhengye is dead, but the country did not settle down overnight. There are still countless complicated affairs that need to be taken care of.
A few days ago, urgent news reached the capital that the people in Daozhou had revolted, and the rebel army had actually captured Hengzhou.
This uprising started with the severe drought in Daozhou last year. The imperial court was ineffective in providing disaster relief, and refugees even flocked to the capital. When the emperor prayed for blessings at Dayun Temple on Double Ninth Festival last year, the victims who came to pray outside the temple were from Daozhou.
Now, the rioters who revolted in Daozhou, from the initial thousand people, have gathered more than 70,000 to 80,000 people as responses from various places have gradually emerged. The fire has been unable to be put out for a long time in the nearby states and counties, and now there are even more than 70,000 to 80,000 people.
At this point, sending troops to encircle and suppress the rebellion has become an imminent matter.
After discussing all matters, Emperor Shengce left the Minister of the Central Secretariat Ma Xingzhou alone.
"Prime Minister Ma, please sit down and talk to me." The Emperor of Shengce ordered someone to give him a seat.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After the two of them talked about some past events, the Emperor mentioned Cui Jing's assassination: "If Cui Qing's assassination is true, it shows that the hidden thorn in my side has not yet been completely removed."
She has investigated and cleaned it up again and again, but it seems that it has not been completely eliminated.
She knew very well that if she wanted to employ someone, she would not be able to avoid being snooped on. But what she cared about most now was: "According to Prime Minister Ma, who is it that has repeatedly tried so hard to kill Cui Jing? Is he Cui's enemy, or mine?"
"Or... for the military power in the hands of General Cui." Ma Xingzhou considered.
The Holy Ce Emperor did not comment, but only said: "There have always been many people who covet this sharp sword of the Xuan Ce Army."
Ma Xingzhou then tried to ask: "Does the saint have any doubts?"
"Nowadays, all the troops and vassal kings are ready to make a move. There are too many people who deserve my suspicion."
A moment after these words were spoken, Emperor Shengce asked about the news of Prince Rong's Mansion in Yizhou.
Ma Xingzhou: "There is a hidden message in the letter my granddaughter sent back recently. She did not notice any unusual movements in Prince Rong's Mansion..."
Mentioning this, Ma Xingzhou couldn't help but say: "Speaking of which, Prince Rong has been stationed in Yizhou over the years, guarding the western border with the Jiannan Jiedushi. He has been conscientious in fulfilling his duties and has never overstepped his authority. His offspring are also the least prosperous..."
"That's why," said the Holy Ce Emperor, "because he is different from those vassal kings who are too ambitious. He has never made any mistakes in his words or deeds. That's why I have to be extra careful with him."
"Prime Minister Ma should also know that over the years, he has been known for his benevolence in Jiannan Road. He has personally taken care of everything and worked hard for the people's livelihood, which has won the hearts of the people." She said, "Now he has won the hearts of the people of Jiannan, but who knows what will happen in the future?"
While Ma Xingzhou was thinking, he heard the Emperor of the Holy Ce talking about Prince Rong's youth in a tone that seemed like he was talking about family matters.
At that time, Prince Rong was the only one among the princes headed by the late emperor. Because his biological mother was just a small palace maid and he had no support from his maternal family, when the princes were fighting, he never formed a faction and did not ask about the affairs of state. Although he was called a prince, he was more like an ordinary royal family member who was free and easy.
Later, the previous emperor passed away, and the crown prince Li Xiao also passed away. The seventh prince Li Bing succeeded to the throne, but was deposed after three years in office. Then she ascended the throne and adopted the crown prince.
In each of these important events, countless people came forward, opposed, fought, and struggled for power... and among these voices, King Rong was never mentioned.
He always stayed out of the situation and was not involved in it at all.
He was asked to guard the western border, so he went. He was asked to leave his only son Li Lu in the capital as a hostage, so he stayed there for many years. It was not until this time that Li Lu was recalled on the grounds that Princess Rong was seriously ill.
"Even if he had no other intentions in the past, the situation has changed. He is now famous. Who knows if he will have any other intentions now or in the future..." The Holy Book Emperor said, "He has done everything perfectly, but if he has any other intentions, it is impossible for him to leave no trace."
Ma Xingzhou understood, and after a moment, he bowed his head and said, "I understand. I will write a letter and ask Wan'er to pay more attention to it."
If we only saw it passively in the past, from now on... we will need to take the initiative to explore deeper.
This move also means that Ma Wan will be in greater danger, and the consequences will be disastrous if she is not careful.
"I am ashamed of Prime Minister Ma." The Emperor of Shengce said ashamedly, "However, we cannot be careless with internal and external troubles."
"I understand." Ma Xingzhou said, "The current situation is like this. As a minister, I should share your majesty's worries."
The Emperor of the Holy Ce sighed, "The only person I can trust now is Prime Minister Ma."
"The reform of the imperial examination system has been completed. Your Majesty will definitely have no shortage of available people in the future." Ma Xingzhou thought of those poor scholars who were about to take the palace examination. Seven out of ten new scholars this year were from poor families. This was the greatest comfort he had received since he became an official.
The Holy Ce Emperor looked at the prime minister from a humble family whom she had promoted, and talked about where she planned to use these commoner scholars after the palace examination.
Ma Xingzhou was very surprised when he heard this: "...The Saint doesn't intend to enroll them in the Imperial Academy first?"
Instead, it will be directly distributed to various departments and provinces? The Holy Ce Emperor shook his head: "The current situation is special. I can't wait now."
Ma Xingzhou wanted to say something but stopped himself.
But in this case, these new scholars would have to face the struggle with the gentry when they first entered the officialdom... This struggle was too urgent and almost cruel to these poor scholars who had no support.
People can grow quickly in cruelty, but they can also be shattered and dissipated quickly.
Putting aside the ability to fight for power, to be fair, it has only been in the past hundred years that people from poor families have had access to books to read. However, those rare books and classics that are truly essential for governing a country are still monopolized by the major aristocratic families, who monopolize everything from the root.
Moreover, what the children of noble and official families hear and see since childhood also determines that their vision and knowledge are far superior to those of ordinary children from poor families.
Therefore, when it comes to being an official, these poor children who started from a low position still have a lot to learn. Now they are suddenly placed in important positions...
This move is risky and radical from any perspective.
But at the same time, Ma Xingzhou was also very clear that the real power struggles in the past could never be carried out slowly and gently. This storm that had been brewing for too long would always go through a period of violent and chaotic turmoil.
In this turmoil, blood is bound to be shed.
But if they can win, in the future... they can open the door of justice for the children of poor families all over the world, and this door will never be easily closed again! Isn't this his original intention when he entered the court as an official?
Ma Xingzhou knew that he could not convince the emperor, and he had no right to persuade the emperor to postpone this action. He could only stand up and bow solemnly on behalf of those poor scholars whose future was unknown.
…
At the morning court session the next day, Xu Zhengye's head was finally presented before the emperor.
The Emperor of Holy Ceremonies signaled to the eunuch to hold the head in the box and walk past the officials so that all the officials could "admire" it together.
The head exuded a foul smell, and its skin and eyeballs had begun to fester. It was extremely horrifying. Most officials were pale, and some of the nobles and civil officials could not help but cover their sleeves and retch.
"The Xu family was originally from an aristocratic family. Xu Zhengye has always been able to lead troops and has a high prestige among the aristocratic families..." The empress's voice spread in the silent hall: "However, he still ended up like this."
"From this we can see that those who harbor the intention to disrupt our great country will be punished by the world and by God!"
Upon hearing this, the officials had different expressions. Ma Xingzhou and others stepped out first, bowed down the mountain and shouted "Long live the great prosperity".
After deterrence, it is natural to reward and commend those who have made contributions.
"Once the battle of Jiangdu is over, I will definitely reward General Xiao, General Chang, and the meritorious soldiers."
"As for General Ningyuan, who made the greatest contribution—" the empress said with a smile, "I will personally ask her what kind of reward she wants."
The person she wanted to ask was General Ning Yuan, but also A Shang.
She wanted to hear what her Ah Shang really wanted.
…
After the morning court was over, Wei Shuyi was summoned to the imperial court to discuss the follow-up to Xu Zhengye's rebellion.
Jiangdu and other cities occupied by the remnants of Xu's army or his accomplices must be recaptured one by one. This is one of the goals.
The second is the nobles in Luoyang who colluded with Xu Zhengye...
The empress ordered Li Xian to investigate and deal with the matter thoroughly. She also mentioned that Cui Jing should stay in Luoyang temporarily and lead Xuan Ce's army to suppress any possible counterattack.
If it was really only the Luoyang gentry who were involved, then the sage's order would naturally be understandable, but as far as he knew... what the sage really wanted to eliminate this time was not just the Luoyang gentry.
Or maybe there is Cui Lingan’s maternal family, the Zheng family of Xingyang…
Is this to use Cui Ling'an as a knife to kill all the Zheng family?
Is this a test, or is it to force Cui Ling'an to become a truly "lonely man" who is abandoned and spurned by the nobles of the world? Wei Shuyi sighed in his heart.
It seemed that he should not have suggested that Cui Ling'an go to Luoyang, putting Cui Ling'an in such a situation.
But once the saint's suspicion arises, even if this incident does not happen, there will be other "tests".
Faced with the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects, and the ethics of the gentry...what will Cui Ling'an choose? Wei Shuyi has been in a complicated mood all the way. He wants to help Cui Jing out of the predicament, but how can he have the best of both worlds?
After returning to Duke Zheng's mansion, Wei Shuyi changed his clothes and followed his recent habit. He went to the Buddhist temple to burn incense and worship.
When he was about to leave the Buddhist temple, Duan came quickly and pushed his son back into the temple.
In front of the Bodhisattva, Duan tightly grasped her son's arm, her eyes trembling as she said, "... Zi Gu, I have become 70% certain recently that the person in Sui Ning's body right now is probably your Highness's Xin'er!"
She thought about this matter over and over every day, and the great victory at the Bian River was like a strong medicine that poured into her mind.
"..." Wei Shuyi turned his head slightly stiffly and looked at the three green incense sticks that had not yet burned out.
It seems that he needs to burn incense twice a day instead of once.
…
Also burning incense was Qiao Yumian.
Deeply influenced by her mother's habit of "paying respects whether there is something to do or not", Qiao Yumian came to Chang Mansion in Xingningfang today to have her eyes checked by Doctor Sun, and she also paid respects in the Buddhist temple of Chang Mansion.
After leaving the Buddhist temple, Qiao Yumian went to look for Doctor Sun.
It was drizzling at the moment. Xiaoqiu held an umbrella and supported Qiao Yumian, walking very slowly along the way.
Arriving at Doctor Sun's residence, Qiao Yumian climbed the stone steps and went to the corridor. She sniffed lightly and asked Doctor Sun who came out with a smile, "Did Doctor Sun dry the Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes lancea?"
Doctor Sun was stunned for a moment before nodding: "That's right."
He was drying more than just these two herbs, and it was surprising that she could tell that these two herbs were among them, even though their smells were mixed together. Besides, it was raining, and the rain would also disturb the smell of the herbs.
Doctor Sun suddenly remembered a sentence she had heard the young lady say jokingly: Long illness makes a good doctor.
Walking into the hall with Qiao Yumian, Doctor Sun seemed to be thinking about something for a moment.
At this moment, drizzle began to fall in Bianzhou, nearly a thousand miles away.
When Chang Suining, Adian Shepherd's Purse, He Wuhu and others returned to the Bianzhou Governor's Mansion from the military camp outside the city, they happened to meet Cui Jing, who had taken the initiative to bring craftsmen to supervise the repair of the warship yesterday.
Cui Jing took Yuan Xiang and dismounted outside the governor's mansion.
He Wuhu and others hurriedly saluted Cui Jing: "General Cui!"
They all went to the palace together.
"Thank you for your hard work." Chang Suining walked with her hands behind her back and thanked Cui Jing who was walking beside her.
Supervising the repair of warships was originally her job and had nothing to do with Xuan Ce Mansion, but Cui Jing saw it as too much work and did a lot of things for her, leaving her with enough spare time to handle the affairs in the military camp.
“It’s not hard.”
It’s not hard.
In the misty drizzle, Chang Suining tapped his fingers twice behind his back, turned his head to look at him, and asked in a reminder tone: "Have the three days arrived?"
"Yes, we're here." Cui Jing looked straight ahead and said, "Wait until after the celebration banquet tonight."
"..." Chang Suining paused and clenched his hands into fists behind his back.
What on earth is this guy keeping secret? She couldn't help but hold her breath and look at Cui Jing.
Cui Jing also turned to look at her and asked, "Have you ever seen a pufferfish?"
"Of course." Chang Suining frowned slightly and looked at him suspiciously: "Why did you mention pufferfish?"
Cui Jing looked forward again, with a hint of smile in his deep and clear eyes: "You look a lot like her now."
Chang Suining: “……?!”
He Wuhu, who was following behind, couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "What does this mean?"
"I know!" Adian raised his hand immediately.
Chang Suining, who always cared about his reputation, turned around immediately and looked at Adian warily.
But it still couldn't stop Adian from answering the questions enthusiastically.
Good night everyone~
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